14. January 2020 | Von Lena Bertelshofer
Sydney: You became home
How lucky I am to have something, that makes saying goodbye so hard.
How lucky I am to have something, that makes saying goodbye so hard.
4 months Australia, 4 months beach & sun, 4 months pure joy of life.
Australia was probably the best time of our lives. Not only did we make countless friends, made many trips, lived in a castle with a view over the most beautiful beach in Australia, but also gained many more experiences for life. Now we are back in Germany and would like to review our time in Manly and give you some tips to make your choice and travel planning easier.
In the middle of October it slowly became quite warm in Manly, in December it became literally hot. The good thing about it was that we Macromedia students had all written exams and other duties behind us on December 4th (no more than 2 written exams for Macromedia Students) and then had another two weeks of spare time until we had to move out of our rooms on campus on December 15th. All in all we can really say that the exams and assignments at the ICMS were more than feasible, even if the workload during the semester was much higher compared to Macromedia in Germany, but towards the end of the term we had less stress. The time after the exams we used for travelling. We spent 4 nights in Surfers Paradise, which was good to see, but reminded me a bit of the Ballermann of Mallorca, there are definitely nicer places in Australia.
Even though the exams are over, you won’t get bored in Manly. For example, on Sundays, you can take the ferry for 4 dollars to Sydney and go shopping there. In the Advent season, you can go to the Christmas market in The Rocks that is super beautiful. If you want to see Sydney from above, you can go to the Westfield Tower or to one of the numerous rooftop restaurants or bars as for example the O Bar & Dining or the Shangri-La Hotel. Another must-do is watching a show at the Sydney Opera House.
In Manly itself you can browse through the sweet boutiques, eat a good Acai Bowl at Bare Naked or jump at the Collins Beach Cliff. If you just want to relax you can go to Shelly Beach and the Shelly Boat House for a cold cocktail. If you feel like surfing the Freshwater or Manly Beach is the best choice.
We would recommend you to visit the following places and countries in your free time, because you won’t get to the other end of the world that easy again!
In Australia:
Outside Australia:
When the time came and we had to move out of our rooms on campus, it was time to say goodbye to our friends, professors and to ICMS. As hard as it was to say goodbye back in Germany, as hard did it get to say goodbye to Australia. This country was no longer just a country, it became our second home. We are forever happy and grateful to have experienced so much in these past 4 months, to have made such great friendships and to have had such a great time together. Thanks ICMS, thanks Manly. You stay home forever.
Cheers, Lena and Pascale
